New Democracy party leader Antonis Samaras has been sworn in. He framed last weekend's election as a referendum on keeping the euro as Greece's official currency.

New Democracy party leader Antonis Samaras has been sworn in as Greek prime minister, correspondent Joanna Kakissis and Sky News report.

As Joanna reported earlier for our Newscast Desk, Samaras' conservative New Democracy party came in first during Sunday national elections, but didn't get enough support to govern on its own. So it will share power with the Socialist PASOK and a small pro-European party — The Democratic Left.

Both New Democracy and PASOK back the harsh terms set in order for Greece to receive billions of euros in international bailout loans. The Democratic Left opposes austerity but says it will join the coalition to keep Greece from self-destructing.

Joanna adds that Samaras is a 61-year-old economist educated in the United States. He's also, she says, a staunch nationalist who framed the election as a referendum on whether Greece should keep the euro as its official currency.

Copyright 2013 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.

Filed in:

• Europe
• World
• Home Page Top Stories
• News